A happy holiday story full of all the feels and a hefty dose of Christmas charm. Frankie is a modern day version of Emma - a busy body who wants (and knows) the best for all of those closest to her. The draw is watching her try to so hard, with all the right intentions, and get it so wrong! Her heart is in the right place, and I love hearing her sister explain to her daughter why she does this all the time. In the end, she frustrates those around her to no end, but they also love that it is just part of her big heart and her desire to see others happy. There is tension in all the right places with the balance of heart happy moments to make it all even out. In the end, watching Frankie find what makes her truly happy is the sweetest gift of the story. The moments to that discovery are full of cringes and smiles and happy holiday cheers and I loved every moment.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Harlequin Trade Company. Author Sheila Robert's has done it again with a hilarious comedy and she threw in romance and drama. This is a definite must read for anyone but I would recommend a mature adult. Frankie means well when she helps people but sometimes things don't work out as planned. Can someone ask for help with out asking for help; Frankie thinks so! Sometimes it takes something happing in front person to help see what they want or what they dont want! Elinor is a quiet and new to town will the right person help her come out of her shell? Is the saying your never to old for love really true? The whole town of Carol shoes lovely and it is full of all sorts of interesting character! Yes this story is set at Christmas time but it can be read whenever!

I really wanted to like this book, I thought it had a cute description.
Frankie just wants to help. Widowed too young she has no interest in finding a man for herself, but that won’t stop her from trying to set up the other people in her life. Determined to find a match for her sister, employee and friend, Mitch, by Christmas she has her work cut out for her. Matchmaking along with helping out with the annual Santa walk and festivities the small businesses do for the holiday should keep her busy until the new year.
I just couldn’t love this book. I found most of the characters to be very wishy washy and Frankie was that as well as extremely pushy. There were several points where it felt like the story was going in circles around the same points and the character growth was minimal, and happened instantly. It did have and Emma-ish feel to it.
It was a very Christmas-y setting and I loved the descriptions of the Christmas festival and all it’s activities and decorations. This is the second book I have read by this author and I had similar thoughts about the last one, so I think this is just a style or writing that doesn’t mesh with my preferred reading. Thank you to @_mira_books_ and @netgalley for letting me have an advanced copy in exchange for a review.
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #christmaseveryday #merrymatchmaker #booknerd #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #readersofig #readersofinsta #readersgonnaread #read #readmorebooks #reading

Who doesn’t love a little Christmas in July? This book was charming. Made me feel like a hallmark movie in a book. You won’t be disappointed if you are looking for a little small town happiness.

Romantic comedy books set around Christmas time - I'm in! I'm always in the mood for something holiday-related - makes me ready for Christmas!

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC. Thank you!

In The Merry Matchmaker, we meet Frankie Lane, a recently widowed, 50 something owner of Holiday Happiness, a small-town shop specializing in holiday decorations and similar items. Among the other characters we meet Frankie’s mother, sister and daughter who also work in her shop as well as a host of other residents and shop owners in her town.
The central theme of the story revolves around Frankie’s bumbling romantic matchmaking attempts. Will her sister, Steph and friend Elinor find love? Will Griff, Mitch and Brock find a suitable match?
I will admit that I am not a fan of romance novels or Hallmark movies. My one exception is Christmas romance. Most are easy, uplifting reads to be enjoyed at a time when readers are very busy and often stressed. The Merry Matchmaker certainly fits that description!
This book was just a three-star read for me. While I found a love story populated with middle to older age characters refreshing, there were far too many of them. The text was very dialogue dependent and with so many characters it was often difficult to determine who was speaking. In fact, in chapter 14, the author also loses track: Jenn asks Elinor, “Is your sister here?” Elinor was on a Christmas parade float at that moment. Jenn should have asked that of Frankie. There were a few other editing errors that I hope will be corrected before publication.
Lastly, don’t skip the notes at the end where you will find Frankie’s dinner party recipes!
Thank you Netgalley, MIRA books, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book gives ALL the small town holiday romance charm with some humor added in as well. Loved Frankie’s character. It is heartwarming while touching on real life difficult topics. A great holiday read!

Frankie likes to play matchmaker for everyone and her family. While she does this, she avoids love for herself until an aha moment makes her realize the guy that she wants has been in front of her all this time. We get to watch numerous romances take place in this book and it’s a lovely Christmas story. I will say there are a lot of characters throughout the story and it does make it confusing at times but overall a nice holiday read.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this advanced reader, copy and exchange for my honest opinion

Time to celebrate Christmas in July by checking out #TheMerryMatchmaker, Frankie has her hands full with her business, family, friends and social activities but makes room for matchmaking. Instead of focusing on her own happiness, she inserts herself into situations and then is shocked when things go array.

Frankie takes for granted having Mitch in her life as her friend and sounding board. When she attempts to serve up a match for Mitch, will she be content with the outcome? Will Frankie meet her match or ring in New Year's alone?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheMerryMatchmaker in exchange for an honest review. Frankie's quirks and Adele's wise words will leave readers in good spirits for the season.

✨BOOK REVIEW: The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
3 /5

This book is a Jane Austen, Emma inspired modern day retelling set in a hallmark christmas movie town. I liked that the story told a narrative of someone who was 50 and struggled with the idea of love and loss all while wanting to play cupid for everyone else in town. Frankie the loveable meddler.

⭐️⭐️✨ = 2 stars and a consideration

⭐️ A good depiction of grief, love, and all the way those emotions has actually intertwine.

⭐️ Frankie and Mitch.

✨ For me, there were too many characters and sometimes it was hard to keep up with them and then remembering who they were.

Thank you to Sheila Roberts, Harlequin and Net Galley for this ARC

Pub Date: October 1, 2024

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

This is a cute Christmas read that shouldn't be taken too seriously- it's a lighthearted story about love and the holidays. Frankie is a little nosy and bossy but she truly means well and the heartfelt moments add a lot to the story.

This book was fine, it started off good, I just couldn't get interested in it. I couldn't relate to the characters and it seemed to lack substance, although I admittedly didn't read much of it.

Set during December and based on Jane Austen’s Emma, The Merry Matchmaker introduces us to Frankie, a widower who is determined to help all of her friends and family find their happily ever after and Mitch, the handsome friend who has been by her side through while she mourned the death of her husband and rebuilt her life. The only problem? Frankie’s help leads to disasters and she is so focused on making other people’s lives happy, she is ignoring her own heart. Will Frankie acknowledge her feelings for Mitch before her meddling loses him forever? This book is full of Christmas Hallmark vibes, from the hot cocoa to the snow-covered small town with festive lampposts to the Christmas cookies to sitting on Santa’s knee. It is a warm and cozy book, and while I was screaming for Frankie to finally admit her feelings to Mitch for most of the book, there is a HEA under the tree for people living in Carol. If Christmas and Romance are your vibes, this should definitely be added to your TBR.

The Merry Matchmakes is a cute, quick Christmas read. Frankie was a tad too nosy for my reading taste but overall I enjoyed the story about the town of Carol and their holiday celebration.

Four stars and thanks to #NetGalley for an opportunity to early read.

This was very heartfelt and very Christmas.- though I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s still a cute Christmas read.

The merry matchmaker. When you lose your husband and lose your desire to find love for yourself. But you can tell everyone else how they should live their life

Sheila Roberts is a great author. I try to pick up all of her new books. This book was great although it’s crazy to think we’re already talking about Christmas reads. I highly recommend it.

This Christmas Emma inspired story is a really fun read for the holiday season. Frankie has been trying to matchmake all of the women in her life. This leads to several hilarious adventures.There is a lot of humor in this story and a sweet love story between two characters in their fifties which is not something you see in a lot of romance novels.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read, heartfelt, and romantic. I loved reading Christmas books any time of the year because they are always uplifting. I loved the ending. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.